Since playing the release show for their debut album Scream From New York, NY in (where else) New York, NY on June 21, Been Stellar have been on a whirlwind journey that’s taken them to the UK for a headlining tour and then to Europe, where they opened a series of shows for The 1975. Coming off a weekend in Chicago for Lollapalooza, they’ll soon be gearing up for the North American leg of their Scream tour as they cross the US and Canada alongside Fontaines D.C. this fall before returning to the UK and Europe for more headlining sets this winter.
But in the lulls between these exciting sets of dates, you can find the band kicking back at a number of local establishments and parks in their hometown of NYC, from Ridgewood’s Grover Cleveland Park to nearby spots for sushi or pasta, to Brooklyn’s Honore Club for a few High Lifes to close out the day. Check out their breakdown of a perfect day in NYC courtesy of the band’s Sam Slocum, Nico Brunstein, and Laila Wayans below, and find all of their upcoming dates here.
Sam: This is Grover Cleveland park. Probably about a year ago I was walking around the area and found this amazing little park in Ridgewood. I like it because it feels like a massive park like Central Park, but just a little chunk of it. Everything in it feels big, but the park itself is quite small. Good spot to collect thoughts.
Sam: Pearl’s was one of the first places we went to as a band in Bushwick. Lucas Carpenter, an old friend who produced our old singles like “Fear of Heights,” took us here when we first were talking about him producing. It’s a great little spot—perfect for a Pacifico on a warm day.
Sam: Very surreal to see this out in the wild—this one is down the street from where I work.
Laila: We have a couple go-to spots for food as a band, and Sushi and Noodles is one of them. We came here a lot during the time we were writing the album. Not only is the food great , the prices are pretty affordable, too. The sushi always comes out in this little boat dish that I find to be really cute. This is one of my favorite spots in New York because it reminds me of the five of us.
Nico: Pane Pasta is a Sicilian bakery and pasta shop where they make everything by hand. I've been going there for the last four years for amazing and affordable fresh pasta and sandwiches. Unfortunately, it just closed since Manhattan rent and taxes have gotten out of control. The owner says he wants to open up a full pasta restaurant, which I will for sure be visiting.
Skyler: Honore was the first “grown up” bar we graduated to (our alma mater was one block away on DeKalb and Irving…IYKYK). Our favorite bartender in the city, Dylan, is there one day a week, and pours an exceptional Guinness (if he’s not working we’ll do High Lifes). Always great music, and the vibe is never too rowdy. Perfect for waxing poetic with your friends—especially if you’re a few pints deep already.
